Everton manager David Moyes believes that Sir Alex Ferguson is an inspiration to any manager looking to have a long career.

Manchester United boss Ferguson and Arsenal's Arsene Wenger are the only two managers in English football to have been in charge of their current club longer than Moyes, who celebrated his 50th birthday on Thursday.

Moyes is uncertain as to whether he will still be managing when he is 71, as Ferguson is, and his long-term future at Goodison Park remains unresolved, with his contract due to expire in the summer and no new deal signed.

But Moyes has indicated that his enthusiasm for management is still strong after 15 years as a boss - the first four at Preston and the last 11 at Everton.

Asked if he would want to be in charge of a club at Ferguson's age, Moyes answered: "I think I would. Will I be able to? I don't know. He might be a one-off, Sir Alex. He's got battery that goes and goes, by the look of it.

"I don't know if I could go that long, but I do think that people in this world are now having to work longer, and are fitter and more healthy to do so. Sir Alex certainly is. So we all have to try to follow his lead and see if we can keep up with him."

Moyes believes that keeping himself fit is key to ensuring he can handle the demands of marshalling his players on the training ground.

He added: "Well, I'm trying to keep fit all the time, because it's a young sport, and I do believe that you have to try to be in the right physical condition to work on the training ground, and be around the players as much as you can.

"But it gets harder. I'm not in the same condition as I was when I left Preston. I could probably have kept playing for a bit longer if I'd wanted to, but my choice was to go into management."

Addressing a room full of journalists at a press conference on Friday, he added: "It's not easy as you get older, as most of you gents looking at me will know. You're all looking a bit older yourselves. You look as if you could do with a bit of extra training. But I try to do the best I can."